In honor of America Recycles Day, Reuse Alliance, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Syracuse EFC, would like to encourage New York State residents and business to use NY Biomass Trader (www.biomasstrader.org/ny).

This free virtual marketplace connects producers and consumers of organic materials to enable organizations to turn organic waste into profit rather than spending time and money on disposal. By diverting these materials from landfills, NY Biomass Trader gives organic waste a second life as compost, fertilizer, energy, and more.

NY Biomass Trader offers New York State businesses a free and easy-to-use web platform that enables trading of biomass materials and biomass-derived products. In addition, NY Biomass Trader now provides improved customer service for those businesses without Internet access. With help from its partners, Reuse Alliance hired a site administrator, Arielle Courtney, to facilitate biomass exchanges and promote the website on a broader scale. Arielle be available to users by phone, (518)635-0874, or by email at arielle@reusealliance.org.

The website is easy to start using. Newcomers to NY Biomass Trader can quickly create an account and post listings for materials they want give or receive. Users can sell, barter, or donate materials.

“In addition to providing a free materials exchange service, the website offers directories with biomass-related services such as biogas equipment, sustainability consultants, and compost educators and the latest biomass news. The website is on its way to becoming a one-stop resource for NY’s biomass community.” says MaryEllen Etienne, Executive Director of Reuse Alliance.

Dale Carpenter of EPA Region 2 adds, “Partnering with NY Biomass Trader allows us to support a reuse and recycling infrastructure that is leading New York towards energy-independence, an improved environment, and a stronger economy. We’re happy to be part of this effort.” “The Environmental Finance Center is thrilled to collaborate with NY Biomass Trader, which keeps organic materials out of the waste stream while creating new economic value,” says Sara Pesek of EFC Region 2. “As a tool that advocates for and promotes sustainable materials management in New York State, EFC is proud to be engaged with this project,” she says.

In addition to NY Biomass Trader, NYAgtrader and NYFoodTrader can be utilized, at http://www.nyagtrader.org/ and http://www.nyfoodtrader.org/

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About NY Biomass Trader:

NY Biomass Trader, a service of the Reuse Alliance, is a free web-based materials exchange for commercial producers and consumers of organic waste throughout New York State. Our funders include the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 and Syracuse EFC. For more information, visit: www.biomasstrader.org/ny, or call 518-635-0874. Twitter: @NYBiomassTrader

About Environmental Finance Center, Region 2:

Syracuse EFC facilitates the development of sustainable and resilient communities across US EPA Region 2—New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and eight tribal nations. Syracuse EFC enhances the administrative and financial capacities of state and local government officials, nonprofit organizations, and private sectors to make change toward improved environmental infrastructure and quality of life. Syracuse EFC (EPA Region 2) is able to sponsor New York Biomass Trader thanks to a Solid Waste Management grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office. For more information, visit: http://syracusecoe.org/efc. Twitter:@SyracuseCoE

About Reuse Alliance:

Reuse Alliance was born in 2005 by a few individuals who shared an interest in increasing awareness of reuse. Under the leadership of the founding director, MaryEllen Etienne, the Reuse Alliance became a nonprofit organization. The Reuse Alliance began organizing the reuse community, advocating for reuse policy, and providing networking opportunities in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization re-launched nationally in late 2009; and now offers educational programs such as Master Reuser ®, and organizes ReuseConex, which is North America’s only reuse conference and expo. For more information, visit: www.reusealliance.org, or call 301- 88-REUSE. Twitter:@ReuseAlliance

About US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2:

EPA Region 2 serves New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Seven Tribal Nations. In its efforts to protect human health, the environment, and to fulfill the recycling goals of its Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), EPA has been promoting and helping develop materials exchanges nationwide. Organics are a key waste stream to target for an exchange due to their inherent value as soil amendments, biofuels, and the value of avoidance of green house gas production, and conservation of available landfill capacity. For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/region02. Twitter:@EPAregion2